VOLUNTEER MALAWI

LIFE IN MALAWI

Located in Southeast Africa, Malawi is a vibrant country known for its open-hearted people and stunning natural beauty. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa; but surprisingly enough, one of the warmest. It has been nicknamed: 'The Warm Heart of Africa' and it doesn't take long once you arrive here to feel the warmth and friendliness of the locals.

Bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia, this landlocked nation is home to the shimmering Lake Malawi, which dominates its eastern border. Lake Malawi runs throughout most of the country and is the lifeline for so many. It's been nicked-named the “Calendar Lake” since it is 52 km wide and 365 km long. With its diverse landscapes, from lush mountains to sprawling national parks, Malawi offers an abundance of opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers. The unique culture of Malawi is reflected in its arts, music, and dance, and visitors can immerse themselves in traditional festivals and ceremonies. Despite facing economic challenges, the resilient people of Malawi continue to welcome strangers with open arms and offer a glimpse into a rich and often underestimated African nation.

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ISSUES FACING MALAWI

There are several challenges that this country faces and some of the most challenging are extreme poverty, extreme hunger, and high illiteracy rates. The country has failed to adopt new agricultural technologies, therefore, there is inadequate food storage and processing and utilization knowledge. This results in food wastage, and the critical shortage of capacity of skills in many institutions that are involved in the delivery of development programs. Other issues are, inadequate knowledge and skills on household dietary diversification, lack of economic empowerment to increase access to high nutritive value foods for varied and nutritious diet. Also, inadequate marketing infrastructure for rural communities limits poor farmers and communities from growing cash crops and engaging in meaningful economic empowerment activities.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Getting involved with the local projects and communities here in Malawi is what this placement is all about. The programs are located in a very tranquil and breathtaking spot along Lake Malawi, which provides a stunning view of the lake and surrounding area. It also opens up plenty of opportunities to take part in some incredible activities both on and off the lake as well as lots of new things to explore and get involved in on your down time. If you have a desire to make a significant impact in a local community, want to experience what Malawi has to offer and looking for a great opportunity that will dramatically change your life while providing you with lasting memories, then you certainly can't go wrong joining one of our various programs we offer in Malawi.

ESSENTIAL COUNTRY INFORMATION

CAPITAL CITY: Lilongwe
TIME ZONE: UTC +02:00
POPULATION: 12.34 million
LITERACY PERCENT: 63
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 39
CURRENCY: Malawian Kwacha (MWK)
RELIGION: Muslim, Protestant, Roman Catholic
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE(S): Chichewa and English

WEATHER AND CLIMATE: The most ideal time to travel to Malawi is during the winter season which is between May to October. During these months, the vegetation is lush and the temperatures are cool and dry. The summer season is between November to April where temperatures are hot and humid. During these months, there are also periods of heavy rains. The coolest months are June and July when daytime temperatures hover around 21 °C / 70 °F and nights can be very cold.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS

PROVIDING EDUCATION, SPORTS, COACHING AND VARIOUS OTHER PROGRAM

Location: Nkhata Bay (Central Malawi)

The area where our programs are located in Malawi is stunning. After a hard day’s work on these programs, you can rest in peace and tranquility as our accommodations are situated in a forest like setting, carved among beautiful trees on the shores of the majestic tropical lake Malawi. We are living in a time of massive environmental change and there is no way of knowing how these changes will affect Malawi or any other countries in our world. One thing is for sure, the more we start to understand development and use local resources and sustainable techniques, the more stable our future will be. We do not require any specific skills or experience for our programs. Each of the programs we offer is designed to attract all kinds of individuals who feel they have something to offer and are ready to make a difference and learn new things. We provide all of our volunteers and travellers the chance to spend time with local people, educate and pass on their skills, and a space to get involved in the local community in and around Nkhata Bay. We encourage volunteers to choose a program they are most passionate about and have the most knowledge in. Our local staff on site are involved in numerous different projects, and there is no shortage of opportunities for volunteers. Our staff are more than willing to provide local language lessons in Chi Tonga or Chichewa, since communication is central to our vision. Being able to communicate with the locals you come in contact with will certainly help enhance your volunteer experience. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa and there is no question that this country needs all the help it can get. The following programs below highlights different ways volunteers can get involved:

Volunteers are welcome to join local teachers at the nursery school in the nearby village of Chikale. The children at this school are between the ages of three to six years old. There are about fifty children enrolled. Teaching alongside the two established teachers is a great way to pass on new and different teaching techniques. There are many resources and accessible reports from other volunteers who participated in the school program that state what they accomplished while in the program. The kids benefit from having more supervision and the teachers benefit from new ideas and motivation. Helping make resources for the nursery school is a great way to leave your ideas behind. There are lots of materials for you to create and to leave your lesson plans or games that you think will benefit the kids well into the future. If volunteers like, they are also encouraged to paint the walls around the schools and carry out other community mural projects. There has also been a gardening project created in the small space out the back of the nursery. so we also welcome builders to create a small cooking area so that meals produced from the garden, can be made into nutritious snacks.
A local garden has been created and we welcome any volunteers to be part of it. You are welcome to help garden and plant any day of the week, all year round. The garden has been terraced off and basic fruit trees have been planted, but it can always do with extra care and there are plenty of seeds to plant in the ground and surrounding area. In 2011, the gardens were started and developed around the nursery school and other schools to provide nutritional snacks to the children. They also act as a useful demonstration for the community in sustainable agriculture techniques and erosion control. There has been continued development around the site, particularly on three terraces, that facilitates a source of nutrients for the children, as well as creating ideas and inspiration for them. Now, that the gardens are in place, it is much easier for work to be done and for people to get involved for a short stay or a longer duration. In the future, as well as being a great source of food for the children, they can also serve as a great demonstration of a sustainable home vegetable garden. The hope is that both these gardens can be worked on and developed every year with ideas from both the community and volunteers.
Our hardworking and devoted teams train close by at Chikale village. We are always looking for volunteers with a sports background or a degree to help coach and train our athletes and encourage them to develop their core skills to enhance their success. Volunteers are welcome to assist or take part in any of the training sessions, pass on their skills, accompany the teams to games and be there to offer support every step of the way. The boys have two football teams ages 12 to 15 and they train three times a week. The girls train twice a week and both teams have fairly regular games within Nkhata Bay area. As a volunteer on this program, you will be responsible in assisting with the following duties: skills training at the regular training sessions, help organize games with different teams, fitness training with the teams, and work with Willard to develop the managerial and organizational side of the team.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS WE OFFER

Since 2012, a group of young adults with learning difficulties and physical impairments have been meeting on a weekly basis and coming together to learn valuable life skills, eat a nutritious lunch, engage in physical activity, and develop and deepen relationships among their peers and within the community. This program is designed to empower young people with disabilities to become as independent as possible, and to gain opportunities to participate meaningfully in their communities and family homes. Some more able members are employed to do small tasks. The club began as only five individuals but has grown significantly to thirty young adults and the size of the club continues to grow every year, with more members being added all the time. An ongoing outreach component linked to this group includes home visits and needs assessments. This programs is for volunteers with specific qualifications in this area.

For this program, you will be able to participate in a number of different ways. This centre provides free information on health, agriculture and business issues. It also provides Malawians with free internet access for educational purposes. We aim to develop its' role as a useful networking centre within the wider community and the area.
This centre is home to approximately forty adult members who differ in their disabilities from deafness to paralysis. The centre has been built in a small community close to Nkhata Bay area. At this centre, members learn specialized trades in many areas including tailoring, carpentry, teaching, cooking, and computers. The specialized training is provided by local experts for the adults with disabilities. The centre also consists of a fully functioning restaurant where customers can stop by for a cup of tea or some delicious home-made cooking. In addition, trained members manage an internet cafe, a shop where they sell their produce and fabric creations, There is also a small garden nursery for guests and members to relax and enjoy a day out.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM FEE

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

( BASED ON A WEEKLY RATE )

$ 90.00 CAD
$170.00 CAD
$270.00 CAD
$415.00 CAD
$535.00 CAD
$330.00 CAD
$460.00 CAD
$440.00 CAD
$740.00 CAD
$1030.00 CAD
$505.00 CAD
$825.00 CAD

PROGRAM FEE EXPLANATION

The total cost consists of a Program Fee plus a mandatory $225.00 CAD Registration Fee. This amount is refundable if you cancel your program but must be paid upfront to move forward with enrollment. This fee covers the ongoing cost of support from VWB staff, program marketing costs, digital information package, administration costs, travel costs to develop additional programs as well as ongoing costs to provide sustainable programs.

Included in the Program Fee: project orientation, program supervision, accommodation, in-country 24/7 volunteer support and in country administration costs. Weekly program fees vary depending on the accommodation preferred by the volunteer.

Additional Costs: visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), immunizations and/or vaccinations, in-country trips or tours, and transfer to other areas.

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